


Through The Eyes Of Others

by CathyCat2709



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/M, There will be fluff, because Nora went through hell, but also heartbreak
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-11 15:26:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16478120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CathyCat2709/pseuds/CathyCat2709
Summary: Sometimes if you're in the right places at the right time, you may catch glimpses of the person Nora Darhk actually is without a demon whispering into her ear. And where Nora is, Ray isn't far either.Short, mostly fluffy scenes to deal with the DarhkAtom feels.





	1. Nate

**Author's Note:**

> I'm suppossed to write a new chapter for my Sara Lance fic "Becoming Her Demons" but Nora Darhk is keeping my muse hostage and I hope getting these head canons (more like wishful thinking) out of my system will ease my obsession with DarhkAtom. (It probably won't but at least I'm writing something.)  
> The scene's won't be chronologically, just whatever pops into my head.

Nate wasn't stupid. Even without Gideon confirming his suspicions he had noticed Ray and Nora sneaking off together.  
Everyone could see how Ray looked at Nora. Nate had teased him before about having the hots for her but that was before there was a chance of this ever actually becoming a thing.  
And Nate couldn't understand why none of the others were stopping Ray from setting himself up for heartbreak. Why no one says anything whenever they notice that both Ray and Nora are nowhere to be found again.  
  
In hindsight he should've had more faith in Ray.  
  
The lab was the last place Nate thought to look for them. He honestly expected Ray and Nora to be in one of their quarters doing things he really doesn't want to know about. But their rooms were empty. So was the kitchen, the library, the gym, the fabrication room, the laundry room, the med bay, the cargo, the brig, the bridge and all the other places he went looking for his best friend and their ex-enemy.  
He even asked Gideon if the jumpship was still there.  
  
“No one has used the jumpship today, Mr Heywood. If you are looking for Doctor Palmer and Miss Darhk, you might want to check the laboratory.“  
  
“You couldn't have told me that half an hour ago, Gideon?“  
  
“You didn't ask.“  
  
Nate huffed. Sometimes he still forgot that the ship has an AI that probably knew more than any of them realize.  
  
Rounding the corner and stepping into the lab, the annoyance about himself was quickly forgotten.  
Whatever he expected to find Nora and Ray doing during the time they mysteriously disappear - this certainly wasn't it.  
  
Nora was sitting at a desk with opened textbooks, notepads and pens scattered around her. Ray stopped his animatedly explanation of some numbers and figures he wrote at the board when he notices Nate. Nate faintly recognizes the equations from his calculus class in high school.  
Nora followed his gaze and immediately stopped chewing on the highlighter in her hand as her facial expression changed from confused and frustrated to the defensive, angry and a little annoyed look that Nate learned to associate with Nora Darhk.  
  
It took him a second to put the pieces together.  
Being possessed by a demon since the age of thirteen apparently didn't leave much time for a proper education.  
Nate wasn't sure why this scene suddenly made him question everything he thought he knew about Nora Darhk. Maybe it was the fact that she prioritized an education to seducing his friend. Maybe it was her asking Ray for help. Maybe it was just the pleading look Ray gave him. Maybe it was something like guilt and regret that the Legends couldn't give the girl from the asylum a chance at a normal life.  
Whatever it was, Nate dropped on the chair on the other side of the desk and closed one of the heavy math books.  
  
“Forget math. You're a time traveler, you need to know history. Can't rely on Gideon for everything.“ Nate dismissed as if it's the most normal thing in the world to tutor the woman who tried to kill you and your team more than once.  
  
Nora didn't give up her defensive pose but after her eyes flicked to Ray for just a second she at least didn't look like she was going to attack Nate with her magic anymore. Ray smiled at his friend in relief and gratefulness for not causing a scene.  
  
They spend more time with Nate and Ray arguing whether math and physics or history and linguistics are more important as a time travelers. It eased the tension just enough for Nora to relax a bit and listen to what Nate rambled on about people and places of the past - not that she would throw in a couple of sarcastic comments about them all being nerds. Or what would be their past if they were still in their own time line.  
  
Nora was smart Nate quickly realized. Maybe not Ray or Stein smart but she could’ve easily been a straight A student, gotten scholarships for colleges and build a career if not for Mallus thing. She knew quite a lot about history.  
Except she didn’t really.  
She knew what Mallus and Darhk wanted her to know. She knew all the important events where times was at it’s most vulnerable. She knew the twisted facts that Mallus fed her over and over again, so she would help him break time.  
It took a lot of study sessions to untangle the web of lies and a lot of proof to get Nora to believe in the more accurate version of history.  
  
Nate never mentions the study sessions to anyone, not even to Nora herself, afraid that she’d close off again.  
Because as much as every reminder stung that _they_ were at fault for even giving Mallus the possibility to prey on a girl who just lost her parents, Nate almost found it within himself to like this Nora.  
He certainly couldn’t blame Ray anymore when he looked at their ex-enemy with compassion, heartbreak and admiration shining so clearly in his eyes.


	2. Zari

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still no luck with writing anything else but DarhkAtom but hey, there is no such thing as too many DarhkAtom fics.  
> So enjoy this little piece of fluff.

She doesn't mean to eaves drop. She never does. Apparently she just has the bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and witnessing scenes that were clearly not meant for her.  
But all she hears is faint laughter from the kitchen, how is she supposed to know that the voice belonged to Nora Darhk of all people?

“I'm eating that the day you eat nothing but junk food,“ Nora snorts but her voice is less heavy and annoyed than Zari has gotten used to. It takes her a moment to even register this as Nora's voice even though she sees the words coming out of Nora’s mouth from where she came to a halt at the entrance to the kitchen.

“Come on, it's good for you.“ Ray tries to convince Nora and holds his fork to her mouth.

“I'm not eating that, go away!“ But it doesn't sound demanding or annoyed at all as she pushes his fork away.

“Aww, now I spilled it.“ Ray whines, actually disappointed.

“Ohh, that's too bad, I was so eager to try that green, mushy stuff.“  
Zari never imagined that Nora's sarcasm could sound so light, almost like she's singing.

“Are you mocking me because I feel like you're mocking me.“

“I would never mock you.“ Nora wears a smug grin on her face that betrays her innocent tone.

The flirting between them is almost enough to make Zari turn around. She has no desire to find out where this will inevitably lead these two sooner or later.  
Except Ray suddenly does the most stupid and reckless thing.

He scoops up some of the cooked spinach on his plate with his finger and smears it on the tip of Nora's nose. And he's brave enough to laugh at her scandalized face.

“So you wanna fight, huh?“ Nora lowers her voice to a dangerous growl and despite the green stuff on her nose she looks quite intimidating.

Zari is already preparing to break up a fight but before she can even move a muscle Nora bursts into laughter - a full, honest laugh - at the panic in Ray's eyes.

That's when she notices Zari who has been standing frozen in spot.  
The laughter immediately dies on her lips and Nora's eyes widen before she clenches her jaw and crosses her arms.

“What do you want?“ she huffs, the spinach still on her nose, making it a little difficult to look anywhere else.

Ray tears his eyes away from the women beside him and finally notices their audience too.

“I live here.“ Zari retorts and walks to the fridge, the annoyed and snappy comments between them being something familiar enough to fall back into.  
She rummages in the fridge, not even remembering what she was looking for and grabs the first thing she can get her hands on.  
From the corner of her eyes she can see Nora sheepishly wiping her sleeve over her nose and elbowing Ray in the ribs when he whispers something to her.  
Opening a drawer, Zari grabs a spoon for her yogurt and points it to the splash of spinach on the floor as she pushes the drawer close with her hips.

“You better clean that up before Sara throws a fit because the kitchen isn't spotless when Ava comes over for dinner tonight," she can't keep herself from bringing up the Captain's girlfriend. Ava as the woman in charge of the organisation that tried to lock Nora up is still kind of a tense subject. (Nora as the person who almost broke time on purpose and has been able to escape her punishment is also kind of a tense subject to bring up around Ava.)

Nora rolls her eyes, still not giving up her defensive stance, and Ray scratches the back of his neck as he nods awkwardly.  
Zari clearly caught them during a private moment. Though with how close they had grown Zari is just thankful that with her track record she didn’t walk in on them doing something else.  
If this wasn't Nora Darhk they were talking about, it would've been cute how they're reacting like two kids being caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Except this isn't the Nora Darhk Zari came to know.

Neither the scared, sad girl from the asylum, nor the bitter, twisted woman under Mallus and her dad's influence.  
This Nora is trying to hide her blushing cheeks behind an annoyed scowl as she subconsciously presses closer into Ray’s side.  
This Nora seems to be healing from her past and slowly becoming the woman Ray always knew she could be even when no one else believed it.

“By the way, I want in on the bet when Ray is gonna eat junk food.“ Zari calls over her shoulder as she leaves the kitchen without looking back.

“Aw, come on!“ Ray calls out in protest and there's an amused snort coming from Nora.

Yeah, this Nora she could get used to.


	3. Sara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry, not so fluffy as the last chapter.  
> Because I have a feeling that Sara isn't gonna be as calm about this Nora situation in future episodes as she was in 4x03 even though I personally think that Sara is the one that could relate most to Nora.  
> I can't wait to actually get to see Nora on screen!

Sara is steaming. There’s a small voice in the back of her mind that maybe it’s just misdirected worry and fear because she almost lost Ray today but right now she can't help but be fucking furious.

What the hell was she thinking allowing Nora to go with them on a mission?

Who the fuck did Nora think she is to take on ten people at once, drawing Ray in to rescue her when they inevitably overpower her?

Why did she let Ray convince her to let Nora on the Waverider in the first place?! She knew this would go wrong, she fucking knew it!

Sara is so caught up in her anger and regret that she doesn't notice it at first as she makes her way through the hallways to check on Ray.  
The sound is quiet and easy to miss but her protective instincts and worry win out over her anger.

A hushed voice and sniffling.  
Someone is crying. That kind of crying where you’re trying to talk but your voice keeps breaking because your throat hurts from holding back the sobs.

Logically Sara knows that there's only one person who can be with Ray in the med bay since she just left the rest of the team on the bridge.  
But she doesn't believe it until she peaks around the corner to see Nora freaking Darhk hunched over Ray's unconscious body with her back to the door.

Sara snaps her head back, leaning against the wall outside of the med bay. Her heart is racing.  
She can’t deal with this now. She can deal with considering that maybe she’s just as stubborn and hypocriptic as Ray accused her of being before. She can’t deal with comforting the daughter of the man who killed her sister right now and sharing her worry.  
She doesn’t want to share anything with Nora Darhk.

She should leave, she can always yell at Nora and Ray later. But when she hears another pained whisper she can't bring herself to leave.  
Laurel always told her she’s too noisy. 

“This is all my fault. When are you going to learn that there's no use trying to save me?“ Nora’s voice has always been more on the low and husky side but now it’s down right scratchy and breaking more than once during the sentence.

“I'll always be there for you, Nora.“  
It's barley audible but years of assassin training help Sara pick up on Ray's word.  
Both Nora and Sara breath a sigh of relief at the sound of his voice. Gideon said he would be okay but Sara has lost too many people in her life to blindly believe that.

“What the hell were you thinking, you idiot?“ Nora takes the words right out of Sara's mouth.

“I was thinking I wouldn't leave you all the glory of defeating the bad guys.“ Ray jokes weakly.  
Nora snorts but it turns into a relief laugh through her sobs.

“I'm sorry, Ray. I'm so sorry.“ Nora whispers over and over again, each repetition sounding more and more desperate.

“Nora, none of this is your fault.“

“But-“

“No buts. Come here.“

There's rustling and Sara is torn between peaking around the corner again to see if Nora Darhk is actually squeezing herself beside Ray to cuddle with him or not. But seeing the proof of how wrong she might have been about Damien Darhk’s daughter isn’t something she feels like doing right now.  
She’s gonna need some time to wrap her head around the fact that maybe Nora isn’t so different from them. And maybe more similar to herself than she'd like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick question for you guys; did it throw you off that I wrote in the present tense? I never know which feels more natural to read. And I find myself switching back to the tense that I've been using the most without noticing and it's hard enough as it is for me to get grammar in gerneral somewhat correct.


End file.
